Automatic car coupler



April 21, 1925 J. W. JONES AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLER Filed Oct. 1925 Z "n mo"J w J Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES rennet tries.

AUTOMATIC one. COUPLER.

Application filed October 15, 1923. Serial No. 668,728.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jenn int Jones, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clifford, in the county of -Vi illiamson and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticCar Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to car couplings, and has for its primaryobject, the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of a carcoupling operating through the caused by the impact of the two cars tobe coupled together, to give a quick and sure coupling between the cars.v

A further object of the invention is the provision of a coupling, in amanner as hereinafter set forth, which may be set by an attendant beforethe cars come together, so that the said attendant may have sufficienttime to get from between the cars, thus doing away with all possibilityof injury to the attendant, the coupler acting through gravity, at theproper moment, to couple the two cars together.

It is well known, that many fatalities occur amongst men engaged incoupling and uncoupling cars, particularly in coupling mining cars,where the men employed to couple the cars together are obliged to rideupon the front of one of the cars and stay there until within a fractionof a second before the cars to be coupled come together. Should thecoupler fail to get outfrom between the cars at the proper moment, hewould be caught and possibly fatally injured. In the use of the link andpin coupling, commonly employed at the present time, the couplers lifeis constantly in danger, whereas in the use of my improved couplingdevice, the engagement of one car with the other is automatic requiringno attention on the part of the coupler other than that of setting thelink in the proper position before the cars are brought together.

A still furtherobject of this invention is the provision, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, ofa means for quickly uncoupling the car, whichmeans is operable from the outer side of the car, and is easily operatedand positive in its action.

A still further object is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter setforth, of a coupler which will be quick and positive in its action,strong, durable, easily manipulated and therefore requiring littleattention, and inexpensive to manufacture.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding thatthe invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showingof the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changesand modifications mark no material departure from the salient featuresof the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows a structure embodying this invention, setin position and ready for coupling.-

Fig. 2 shows the action of the coupling member at the moment of impactbetween the two cars.

Fig. 3 shows the position of the parts after the connection of thecoupling members when the cars have pulled apart.

Fig. at is a detail perspective of the coupling embodying thisinvention, and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of a modification of the device.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views of the drawings, there is shown indotted position end portions of two cars 1 and 2, of the type commcmlyused in coal mines, and for which this device is primarily intendedalthough of course it may be used upon other types of cars. The sills ofthe cars at their ends, are indicated as having near their centralparts, spaced bumpers 3.

The coupling mechanism embodying this invention comprises a draw bar 4adapted to be secured to one of the cars between the bumpers 3, and alink supporting bar 5, to be positioned upon the sill of the oppositecar between the opposite bumpers. As clearly shown in F 4-, the draw bar1 is flat where it contacts with the surface of the sill, and has itsforward end constricted and formed to provide a bearing 6 and a hook 7which extends beyond the edge of the sill between the bumpers 3.

Pivoted at 8 upon one side face of the bill portion of the hook 7, is acurved arm 9 adapted to pass over the interior of the hook when moved onits pivot. A bearing 6 is formed on the draw bar, and rotative (illthrough this bearing is a rod 12 having lateral handles 13 at the ends,the latter located beyond the sides of the ear frame, so that the rodcan be actuated from outside the lines of the cars. Formed in the rod 12substantially in line with the arm .9

upon the opposite car and comprises a flat bar having its forward endbifurcated as shown at 13and extending beyond the edge of the sill aboveand between the bumpers 3. Each of the furcations has its upper side outdown half way between its ends as indicated at 1 1. This cut downportion extends about half way through the thickness of the furcationand is then continued forward to its free end at a slight upwardinclination, the thickness of the end of each furcation being slightlygreater than its central portion and less than the thickness of theoriginal member. As also shown, each of the cut out portions is bevelledtoward the inner side of the furcations thus forming a seat for theconnecting link to be described further on. Secured to the sill of thecar beneath the bifurcated end of the bar 5, is a U-link 16, having itslooped ends 17 secured by a bolt or other appropriate means to the sillof the car. This looped link carries an intermediate link 18 which inturn carries an. oval connecting link 19 which link is divided andreinforced near its larger end by a cross member 20 which member servesto prevent the link 19from turning around the link 18.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the link 18 instead of beingcarried by a U-link connected to the sill of the car, is carried upon across pin 21which extends through the fnrcations 13 approximately midwaytheir ends. This type of connection is intended to be used in smallmines where the bumpers on the cars are very short, thus the link 1.)will not bethrown so far forward. when the bni'npers of the two cars arebrought together.

The operation of this device is as follows: lVhen the cars are tobecoupled together the large end of the enlarged link 19 is seated in thecut out-portions 14: of the bifurcated plate 5, and tilted back untilthe upper end l Vhen the cars are drawn apart, the end of F the linkslides down the lnchned surfaceof. the hook and sets up a posltiveengagement therewith.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars,

the attendant takes up a position upon the outside of the car 1, liftsthe handle 13, thus causing the bar 12 to revolve and lift the loop 11,drawing upward with it the link 10 and the free end of the arcuateshaped member 9. y

As may be seen when the arcuate shaped member 9 is swung upward, it willcarry with it the end of the link 19 until it reaches the point wherethe inner edge of the memher 9 becomes flush withthe upper edge of thehook 7 whereupon the link 19 will slip over the end of the hook 7 thusallowing the coupling members to fall apart and releasethe cars. i

What I claim is a y y y 1. In a car coupling, a supporting memher havingan upwardly opening seat, and adapted to be attached toa car body, amain link initially resting at the lower end in said seat and adaptedtobear at the other end against the car body, a coupling link. engagingsaid main link and adapted to be connected to said car body, said mainlink adapted to be displaced by the concussion with another car andengage over a hook on said other car. f

2. In a car coupling, a. supporting mem ber adapted to be attached to acar body and having an open recess in one end and upwardly opening seatsat the. sides of the recess, a main link initially resting at the lowerend in said seats and adapted to be movably supported against the carbody, and a holding link extending through said recess and engaging saidmain link and adapted to be held from movement relative to said carbody.

In testimony whereof, I allix my signatin'e hereto.

JOHN WTLL JONES.

